


the other half

by alltimecharlo



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, M/M, Softness, Soulmates, Tiny bit of Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-09-28 22:06:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20433209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alltimecharlo/pseuds/alltimecharlo
Summary: ballum soulmate au where the name of your soulmate appears on your skin when you kiss them for the first time.





	the other half

**Author's Note:**

> i thought we might need some softness before the fallout of the stag do and wedding :)

Having spent most of his life waiting for his soulmate to come along, Callum had eventually come to the conclusion that he would probably never find them.

He supposed the brief time he spent in the army urged him to settle down too; seeing the worst in humanity tends to do that to a person. 

In the army he had also met Chris and they were both devastatingly crestfallen when they built up the courage to kiss only to find no marks revealing themselves.

He had fallen into a deep depression when he received the news that he was going to be discharged on top of this too. It’s like no matter how hard he tried to do something good for himself it never went his way.

Consequently, he was extremely cautious and confused when a girl as stunning as Whitney had asked him out but he figured Whitney is a lovely girl who anyone in their right mind would kill to have as a soulmate and so counted himself damn lucky that she appeared to be satisfied with him. 

Whitney didn’t believe in soulmates, she told him so on their first date, she thinks everyone should be grateful for what they can have. Callum sometimes wondered if Whitney was just a good distraction from his own lack of his literal ‘other half’ as she didn’t care for them.

Callum knew himself to be a true romantic at heart and if secretly hoping his soulmate would come along and sweep him off his feet made him a bit of an idiot he didn’t mind. It would probably never happen anyway.

“Callum?”

Whitney’s voice rang through their apartment dragging him sharply out of his pondering. Before standing up off the bed, he pulled his shoes on laboriously and smoothed down his shirt.

“Yeah?” Callum answered walking out into the lounge and retrieving his phone from where he left it last night. 

Whitney bustled over quickly from the kitchen, hectically shoving items into her purse. 

“Do you think you could think you could do me a huge favour and help Mick and I down at the Vic?” She asked, still moving rapidly around the room, “We’re so understaffed it’s ridiculous.”

Callum stood idle while she whizzed past him. 

“Pulling pints? Sure, I guess.” He replied casually, he didn’t have anything better to be doing anyway.

Whitney turned round to him with superhuman speed, exclaiming, “Really? Oh thank you, Callum, you’ve saved me here.”

He shrugged indifferently making his way over to the door downstairs. 

“It’s not too much of an ask.” He insisted, placing his hand on her shoulder as she stepped out the the door he was holding.

“Still, thanks babe. I love that about you though, sometimes I think you’re the only reliable man left.” Whitney said, reaching up to cup his chin fondly before descending down the stairs.

Callum watched her go, turning around to lock the door, thinking about her words. 

———

He was just getting comfortable behind the bar, chatting away to Jay and Lola while Whitney was on her break, when a brazen, dark haired man entered the pub loudly announcing his arrival.

“Look who’s here!” He proclaimed, “What’s everyone having, same again Jay?” 

Jay agreed to his offer and Callum moved to fulfil his order but apparently in doing so he caught the new arrival’s eye.

“You’re new.” The man observed out loud, moving his hand, to rest his chin on, on the bar surface. 

Callum slowed his movements in making the drink, placing the glass down lightly on the wooden surface. He could feel his gaze all the way up and down his body and his bright blue eyes weren’t afraid to meet his when they reached his face again.

Willing his body to catch up with his mind, Callum finally managed to move towards the man and offer his hand out to him.

“I’m Callum Highway,” He started before explaining, “And I’m not new, I’m just helping out for today.”

The man took his hand, clasping his hand firmly and shaking it.

“Ben Mitchell,” He finally said, “Pleasure to meet you.” Ben’s eyes never dropped from his own and Callum didn’t know what it was but there was just... something about Ben Mitchell.

“Yeah, “ He managed to answer somehow, “Same here.” 

Before he could go on and say something, god only knows what, the moment was interrupted by Jay requesting the drink he ordered.

Callum pulled himself away from Ben, the subject of his intrigue, to serve him and got dragged away by another customer asking about the bathroom. When Callum turned around again Ben was gone.

———

The next day, Callum found himself working with Jay in the funeral directors after Whitney managed to score him a job there. 

He’s not sure that this was really the best job for him at all. Currently, they were sitting opposite a frail-looking, old lady clutching her handkerchief as she finalised the details for her husband’s funeral.

“I just can’t believe he’s really gone, you know.” She carried on over Jay(this was pretty much how the whole meeting had gone.)

“My condolences, we’ll be sure to see you again in weeks time, Mrs Wick.” Jay attempted to round off the meeting with but Mrs Wick was still very much emotional.

“Your soulmate, you figure you’re always going to be together, two halves completing each other,” She continued shakily, dabbing at her tears with her hanky, with a brave smile on her face, “But I suppose one of you has to go first.” 

Callum watched her as she absentmindedly twisted her wedding ring around her finger. He hadn’t expecting the job to be easy but what did surprise him was that his biggest problem wasn’t that he couldn’t deal with the dead but that meeting and getting to know their soulmates was a repeated reminder of what he was missing.

After Mrs Wick had finally managed to be consoled and politely ushered out the door, Jay seemingly noticed his quietness and insisted he took his lunch break out of the shop, telling him it’s good to get away from it all.

Callum followed his suggestion which lead him to the park to eat his food. Although, even sitting out on a bench in the summer heatwave sun didn’t shift his mind from the topic.

The thought that he might never meet his true other half, the one person who completely gets him was a constant intrusive injection into his mind.

He found himself staring at his hands, imagining having a mark someday. He doesn’t know why his hands come to mind, a mark can appear anywhere on the body, but it felt right. 

Mrs Wick had described having a soulmate as if they were literally a part of you and without them you are incomplete, walking around with a metaphorical hole inside of you. 

The thought that he may never have anyone close to this, never have some who just simply understands and maybe never be whole clouded his mind.

If that person wasn’t Chris, wasn’t Whitney, then who was it and how would he ever find them? There are 7.5 billion people on this Earth and you only meet 10,000 of them in a lifetime.

Callum ran his fingers down his left palm and found himself suddenly with the urge to dig his fingers into his palms and let his eyes brim over with emotion. He doesn’t know why, perhaps he thought it may ground himself a bit.

But suddenly from around the corner of a a protruding hedge came the man from the pub the other day, Ben Mitchell. 

Callum quickly shoved his hands back into his lap and turned his head away and up, attempting to blink away the tears.

Ben had stopped suddenly when passing him and continued to approach the other man carefully before offering a simple, “Hey, you remember me yeah?”

Only finding himself able to nod in reply without perhaps breaking down, Callum does so, also shuffling over on the bench making room for him. He figures he probably shouldn’t be alone.

Taking the seat gratuitously, Ben shifted himself facing towards Callum before asking, “What you doing out here?”

“Was gonna have my lunch,” Callum finally managed, mumbling, “It’s, um, a very nice day outside. What about you?”

He knows Ben obviously noticed him blatantly avoid the subject of what he really wanted to know about but Callum gave him a grateful glance when he decided to let it go for now.

“I’m just about to pick Lexi up from daycare,” Ben provided but he carried on at Callum’s confusion that broke through his face, “Lexi’s my daughter.” He added helpfully.

“Oh,” Callum replied slowly, he felt dejected at the implications of this somehow, “So you have a partner or a ...soulmate?”

Ben chuckled at this notion, apparently amusing to him. Callum still stared at him questioningly.

“No, no, definitely not.” He said shaking his head, he proceeded to tell Callum about what had gone on between him and Lola.

“Don’t get me wrong, Lexi is one of the best things to happen to me, but I was in a bad place then,” He explained nearing the finish, “Didn’t really know who I was or who I wanted to be.” 

Callum couldn’t help but apply this to his own situation. “I get that.” He told him with a half smile.

Somewhere within Ben chatting away to him, he had found his mood had started to improve and even managed to eat a couple sandwiches during their interaction.

“So do you?” Ben asked, cautiously approaching the topic to Callum, perhaps guessing it was what got him down in the first place. “Have a soulmate, I mean.”

Surprisingly, he didn’t feel himself freeze up at this question like he has in the past. Everything around Ben just seemed so... easy.

“I don’t, no,” He replied, his hands ran up and down each other as he talked again, he didn’t know why but he felt like telling him, “I thought I might have found them, once, but turns out it was not meant to be.”

He finished with a shrug but had to bite his lip to stop his emotions from bubbling over again. Ben’s brown eyes find his when he looks up and in them he saw reassurance.

“It’s okay,” He said, moving closer to Callum on the bench and sighing as if about to say something difficult, “I lost someone I considered my soulmate, even if they weren’t actually, but it still hurt the same.”

“The world is cruel.” Ben sighed this last statement definitively, looking up to Callum and both men recognised loss in the other.

He, again didn’t know why he did it, but Callum couldn’t help his hand from moving centimetres to lightly touch Ben’s laid on the bench.

Eyes still stuck on each other, understanding passed between them and Callum felt the biggest wave of relief he had ever conceived wash over him. Just to have someone who knew how it felt, someone who understood, it made all the difference to him.

“Thank you.” He told him, a half-hearted smile crept onto his face and Ben just nodded because he _knew_. 

Callum, now calmed and perhaps ready to return to work, moved to stand and yearned for the return of the warmth of Ben’s hand when he retreated his own.

Picking his own bags up with his now free hand, Ben turned to Callum and joked lightly, “Next time we see each other, I’ll be much more fun, I promise.” Flashing him a warm smile.

Callum let himself laugh and told him, “I hope to see you. A next time, I mean.” He can’t deny the change he feels within himself in Ben’s company. 

Ben seemed to reciprocate the feeling as he grinned fully at him saying, “I hope so too.” With a wink before disappearing around the other end of the hedge he had appeared from.

Callum monitored his pulse with his fingers as Ben left his view. Yes, a simple wink from the man had left him with a BPM that would probably be worrying but he really wanted to see Ben Mitchell again.

———

“You okay?” Whitney asked him as just finished serving up dinner for that evening.

Callum turned round to shut the oven and replace the gloves before answering, “Yeah, of course.” Handing her her plate.

“Well, it’s just Jay text me saying you seemed a bit shaky at work before lunch but then came back with a spring in your step after,” She continued, sitting down at the table, “Just wanted to make sure you were fine.”

He paused slightly in seating himself but carried on quickly. 

“Ah, yeah,” He started, “It’s just that it’s a new job and everything, you know, on top of dealing with dead corpses of course. So I was a little daunted, I think I just got the hang of it after lunch, really.”

Whitney looked relieved at this and told him so, saying she’s glad he’s settling in. The topic then soon shifted to her day and what they’re doing tomorrow.

Callum couldn’t help but think about Ben. He’d understood what was wrong with him immediately and somehow helped him out of it. I mean, he loved Whit and all that but she sometimes felt so far from him even if she thought she was so close.

“So could you do it?” Whitney’s voice snapped him back to the kitchen. 

He jerked his head up and faced her before sheepishly asking her to repeat what she asked.

“Help me set up my new stall on the market?” She reiterated, picking up her glass of wine of which she had poured for the both of them. Callum supposed tonight was kind of a ‘date night’ for them but his mind was not in the moment at all.

Whitney carried on after she’d sipped on her glass of red, “God, I always feel like I’m asking you for favours Cal, you don’t mind do you?”

Moving to clear the table as their plates were now both empty, he shook his head as he answered, “Nah, of course not, it’s fine.”

Secretly, perhaps he was hoping to run into a certain person at the market the next day but she didn’t need to know that.

Whitney grinned at his answer and moved round the table towards him.

“Maybe I could find some other way to make these favours up to you.” She said in a low voice to him sultrily, looking up at him with big eyes.

Now, he knew any man in his right mind would be jumping at this suggestive chance but nothing stirred within him. 

So he returned her glance apologetically before lightly pushing away the hands crawling up his abdomen before saying, “I’ve had a really long day, Whit, I think I just need to go to bed.”

Changing tune almost immediately, Whitney understood where she thought he was coming from and started to usher him into the bedroom saying he must be exhausted from the new job.

Callum was starting to think that it was a certain someone sticking in his mind, instead, who was actually exhausting him.

———

“Shit.” He let slip out loud as the tarpaulin corner he was trying to secure came flapping free again with the wind.

Hearing a small chuckle, he looked down to be greeted by the sight of Ben. “Need a hand with that?”

“No, no,” He managed to grunt as he continued to wrestle with the tarp, “It’s all under control.” 

Unfortunately, as he said this another corner of the cover managed to fly free almost smacking him in the face. 

Sighing, he decided to look down again, already knowing what he’ll see. Sure enough, Ben was smirking up at him. 

“All under control, yeah?” He repeated with a tilt of his head, “Sure you don’t need help?”

Callum heard his playful, light banter and decided to match it. “Okay, but I think we might need to find you a taller ladder.” He countered with a nervy smile.

Seemingly impressed with his quick wit, Ben’s mouth briefly fell open in surprise before promptly shutting again. He laughed out load before replying through a grin, “Wowwww, gotta be clutching at scraps to play the height card.” 

Descending from his ladder Callum reached his normal height before purposely looking over his head and questioning the space above Ben’s head, “Sorry, who said that exactly?”

This scored him a light couple of jabs to the side from the smaller man and the two found themselves play fighting a little before Callum playfully pushed back his hand, engulfing Ben’s fist with his palm. Their light-hearted laughter faded.

Ben cleared his throat but did not retreat his hand. “I came over to make sure you were okay after yesterday.” Ben told him in a lower, softer voice with a look of concern dawning on his face.

Callum answered honestly, telling him that talking to him about it made it ten times easier to carry his thoughts with him. Ben’s caring smile that he sported when he said this warmed Callum.

Then the tarpaulin attempted to escape again but luckily Ben narrowly managed to halt its efforts with his foot. 

“Let me give you a hand, yeah?” Ben nodded towards the rickety structure of the stall as he said this.

As much as Callum would have loved to restart their joking around, he did actually need help and so he agreed and the two set to work.

It turns out, with two people, a tarpaulin is a two minute job. Ben climbed down his ladder and wiped his brow; they were very much still in the midst of a heatwave.

Callum finished triple checking the pegs he had secured and turned to descend back to the the ground only to be greeted with a wonderful sight. Ben’s skin shone golden in the late hour sun and the wonderful smile, aimed up at him, sped up the rhythmic beat in his chest.

Somehow he managed to reach the floor safely, after being overwhelmed by the fondness he felt for a man he had only met several days ago, and stretched his back. 

Thinking it over in his mind for a few seconds (which felt like hours) he asked, “Do you wanna grab a pint at the Vic or something? I think we need a reward for our hard work.” For some reason he decided to end this with a wink, he did not know why.

As predicted, Ben laughed and opened his mouth to answer before a certain redhead suddenly appeared from behind Callum.

“Aw, babe, you managed it in the end!” Whitney noticed excitedly, wrapping her arm around his waist in the process. Callum shifted uncomfortably and she retreated her arm thinking nothing of it.

“Well, I might have had some help.” He confessed looking over to Ben, who suddenly didn’t look as radiant as he did a moment ago. He only offered a semi-friendly smile to Whitney along with a nod.

“A big thanks to both of you then,” Whitney chimed, “I knew I could count on you.” 

As she finished she quickly stood on her tippy toes and planted a small peck onto Callum’s cheek. He couldn’t have avoided it if he wanted to (and he wanted to.) Whitney, oblivious however, just carried on down to street instructing Tiff who had just appeared around the corner carrying a large box.

Callum sighed, tracking his eyes back to Ben before trying to resume what he had been saying. “So, the Vic? Or someplace else if you-“

“Nah, I think I’m just gonna head off actually.” Ben interrupted him abruptly, just offering a tense smile to him before turning and leaving back into the square. Callum tracked him with his eyes until he became indistinguishable between the brightly coloured market stools lining the square.

Callum felt his face fall and slowed his actions as he watched him walk away. He knows he shouldn’t feel this way about Ben every time he sees him leave but he does. He’d rather he stayed by Ben’s side, forever.

Fuck. He thought. He can’t make himself go through this again. He’d gone through this once before with Chris. The laughter, the happiness, the hope, only leading to crushing disappointment.

Who was he kidding anyway, 1 in 3 people actually meet their soulmate during their lifetime and knowing him he’s of the other two.

But then again, how could he even reach his soulmate if they saw Whitney, thought he was off the market and moved on? He’d seen it happen right before his own eyes as he stood watching Ben disappear around the corner, struck solemn after Whit appeared and showered him in PDA. 

Callum finally came to the conclusion that he didn’t want to be with her anymore. When he had started thinking about this, he didn’t know, but he had his suspicions that maybe the thought had been there from the beginning of their relationship. They’d boarded a doomed ship headed for the rocks and Callum had done so willingly. 

Of course this thought had only grown stronger after he met Ben. Such a casual and brief greeting had totally toppled his life.

But it was a simple misunderstanding that had sent his potential other half, potential soulmate literally walking away from him. He didn’t want to be with Whitney any longer, he knew what he wanted and he wanted to be, or at least try to be, with Ben. He wouldn’t let a chance slip away from him, not when it’s so close. 

Fuck. He thought again. He needed to find Ben.

———

Collapsing on the sofa after stumbling through the apartment, Callum sighed and let his sore legs rest. Whitney had sent him collecting supplies and delivering products all over the square that day and on top of that, he’d spent the entire time looking out for and worrying about Ben.

They’d ended up in the Vic to eat dinner and Callum was half expecting to run into him there but he was nowhere to be seen.

He righted himself and rubbed his tired eyes as Whitney noisily came through the door with enough materials to stitch Joseph a technicolour dream coat. 

She deposited them on the table and yawned, “Gosh, what a day, I think I’m just gonna pass right out in the bedroom.” Moving towards said room, she asked if Callum was coming too. 

He still very much wanted to contact Ben, not only to explain to him, but now to make sure that the man was okay and safe. He may not know him amazingly well yet but he’d immediately pegged him as not the most stable guy.

So he shook his head and found himself saying, “Nah, I think I’ll stay up a bit and watch something.” 

Whitney’s interest peaked at this statement and he cursed in his head when she asked what he was going to watch, obviously interested.

So, naturally, out of his mouth came the most uninteresting thing he could think of, “The cricket.” 

Face blooming with confusion, she pointed out, “But you’ve never watched cricket?” Dragging out the ‘but’.

Callum almost panicked managing, “All the more reason to watch it, I figure.” With a smile in her direction. She just laughed at his antics and said a quick ‘Goodnight then!’ back before disappearing into the bedroom.

Remembering why he wanted to stay up in the first place seeing she had left her phone to charge on the table, Callum loudly called, “Whit, is it okay if I find Ben’s number on your phone real quick? I think he left something when we saw him today.” 

Straight up asking Whitney for Ben’s number was a bit brazen, he’ll admit, but he was quite worried about Ben now. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

He heard a muffled “Sure.” come from the bedroom so he quickly sprang from the couch, grabbing the phone and putting in Whitney’s passcode (luckily, for Callum,it was her birthday so it wasn’t that easy to forget.)

Scrolling down her contacts, he reached Ben’s and copied his number into his phone. He placed Whitney’s phone back on the table and returned to the sofa. 

Opening a new message to Ben, he found he didn’t really quite know how to say what he wanted to say; there was so much. He could’ve called him but that went with the risk of waking Whit up and Callum wanted to avoid a situation, for now, where she gets all worked up about something that could come to nothing anyway. 

He quickly realised he really needed to see the man in real life. Not only because he simply seemed to always want to be with him these days but also because if they were to try and find out if they were actually soulmates they would need to kiss. Callum really wanted to kiss Ben.

Finally deciding that the later he left it, the less of a chance Ben would reply, he eventually sent:

Hey, it’s Callum  
I’m sorry about earlier... will you meet me in the park by our bench?  
Sent 22:46

Callum found he liked to type ‘our’, he hoped in the future he and Ben would be able to call a lot of things ‘ours’. But when he found himself thinking of this he shook his head as if to be rid of them, he was getting ahead of himself, they may not actually be soulmates or worse, they are and Ben doesn’t want him.

Oh God. He thought. He didn’t think he’d be able to take a soulmate rejection from anyone, let alone Ben. 

His phone vibrated in his hand.

Alright  
Received 22:47

Callum’s heart jumped a bit at such a simple word but he still remained slightly apprehensive as it was impossible to judge Ben’s mood. 

Nevertheless, he hurried to put his shoes and jacket on.

———

Having slunk out of the house successfully, Callum found himself managing to calm down a bit in the cooler, summer breeze of the the night. However, he still made his way to the park quickly.

He reached their bench and noted that he was the first to arrive. Breathing out nervously, he leaned against it and took in his surroundings. 

There was no one to be seen in the park, presumably because it was so late. Callum realised then that he probably seemed very dodgy from afar. All that he could hear was the distant hollering of some late night party goers out on the town. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” A raspy voice caused Callum to whip his head towards the direction of its origin. His heart rate was going a million miles an hour and he was genuinely expecting to get mugged.

Fortunately, his sudden panic eased when he spotted Ben but his heart remained irate.

His mouth finally caught up with his mind. “Tell you what?” He countered, slightly stunned.

He had started to string a few things together he wanted to say to Ben whilst walking over but his mind blanked at the sight of him.

Ben stepped closer to him and his face was illuminated blue in the moonlight. “That you have a soulmate.” He finished, anger tinged his voice.

Callum huffed, slightly relieved, and started to say, “Whit’s not my-“

“Even if she’s not, aren’t you still making the same promises?” Ben interrupted, eyes widening at this point, “You made me believe that maybe I had a chance.”

He softened at his words but as he tried to speak Ben raised his voice, carrying on.

“I began to really like you, Callum, I did,” He cleared his throat, “I thought I’d finally found someone who really got me, you know?”

Callum’s movements slowed as he processed what Ben was saying.

He carried on, voice still raised “But to find out you were with somebody else crushed me. I thought that maybe I’d found-“ He stopped himself here and shook his head looking down, grimacing through the pain, “I thought maybe I’d found my person-“

He had obviously avoided the word but Callum couldn’t take it any longer, Ben sounding and looking dejected because of him, and so he found himself taking steps towards the man and making a bold decision. He kissed him. 

The adrenaline that was already running through his veins increased tenfold but then he felt it. It simply felt right; kissing Ben was like coming home, Callum had felt lost for so long.

Under his lips the other man had stilled. Naturally, he started to panic. What if Ben didn’t feel it too? What if Ben decided he wasn’t worth the hassle?

But then his body flooded with relief as Ben started to, not only kiss him back, but very enthusiastically. Callum moved his hand up to cup Ben’s face as he found himself manoeuvred against the bench and sighed as they continued to kiss.

Ben’s hand followed Callum’s up to his cheek and held onto it tightly. They could’ve carried on for hours, both basking in their newfound euphoria but they both suddenly pulled away from the other as both felt a burning sensation crawling across their hands.

Clutching his hand to his body, Callum stared in disbelief as ‘Ben’, in thin black ink, scrawled itself across the side of his left hand, just below his thumb. He was pleasantly surprised and felt joy rise within him.

Of course he had wanted Ben to be his soulmate so badly but he was so used to things not going his way he had come to terms with the fact that he might not be.

Callum suddenly realised how badly he’d needed it to be Ben. God knows what he would’ve done if it wasn’t.

His attention quickly shifted to Ben, shortly after he’d seen his mark appear, as he heard the man make a small sound of discomfort. 

Relief washed over him again as he watched Ben glance down at the side of his right hand, just below his little finger and smile. Then his eyes shifted up to meet Callum’s and they simply stood there, soft and shy smiles creeping across their faces.

Callum started up nervously stating, “We’re soulmates.” and his smile widened because he was filled with the most immaculate feeling of contentment and hope.

They moved towards each other, hands held out to show the other. Callum admired his name scrawled across his soulmate, he’d never been so happy. After a few seconds, Ben put their two hands together. 

“Yeah, we are.” He said in amazement, head tilting up to gaze at Callum’s face. He couldn’t resist it anymore so he kissed him again. This time short and sweet.

“I’m your person.” Callum slightly teased, repeating Ben’s earlier words as he placed his hands on Ben’s sides, tugging him closer.

A frown flickered quickly across the other’s face as he playfully tried to push him away to no avail.

“Shut up.” He said flatly yet affectionately before he reached up to plant a kiss on Callum’s lips because he could. Because he was his _soulmate_.

Callum smiled into the kiss before pulling slightly back to say in a low voice, “I’m sorry for not telling you about Whit.” 

He paused for a second and Ben looked up at him waiting for him to go on, “Truth is, whenever I was you I wasn’t really thinking about anyone or anything else...” He finally finished by admitting.

Ben’s face cracked another smile this and he tugged Callum impossibly closer by his jacket as he answered in a playful tone, “Awww, you couldn’t take your eyes of me.” Whilst batting his eyelids for dramatic effect.

This earned him another shove from Callum as he laughed, “We’re bloody soulmates, shut up.” 

He found he liked saying it out loud, Ben seemed to like it too as he was pulled in for another kiss, this time it was vigorous, hot and heavy.

Feeling a hand run down his chest and skim his bare skin under the hem of his t-shirt, Callum couldn’t help but release a moan. He felt Ben’s smug grin against his mouth and decided to repay him.

The next time they parted slightly for air, Callum moved his head downwards, still planting kisses as he moved, and began to kiss Ben’s neck. Feeling Ben shiver under this action was immediately added to his list of favourite things.

He then returned his attention back to Ben’s lips before Ben suddenly slightly pulled away. Callum tried to follow him and continue kissing him, Ben laughed.

“As much as I would like this to continue,” He said lowly, extracting a smile from Callum, “I think we need to get back soon.”

Having not thought about anything else other than Ben for the past half an hour or so, Callum hurriedly checked his phone to find that it had already gone eleven thirty. 

“Oh, yeah we do,” He realised reluctantly, “I’m coming to find you first thing tomorrow though, okay? I’m going to sort all of this stuff out with Whit, I’m sure... I hope she understands.” He finished with an unsure smile.

Ben answered with a hopeful one of his own and saying, “Okay, it’ll be okay” softly. He then dropped his head to look down and grab Callum’s hand (his marked hand) and entangle his fingers with his, marks aligning.

“I’ll see you.” Ben told him, blue eyes transfixed on the taller man and sparkling brilliantly under the stars, before turning around and making his way back. Their hands were clasped up until the last possible second, it was clear neither of them wanted to leave the other.

“See you.” Callum found himself replying, even though Ben’s retreating figure couldn’t possibly hear him. 

That’s how he came to be stood in a park, in the middle of London, nearing midnight, grinning like an absolute idiot. He’d found his soulmate, he still couldn’t believe it, and it was truly as amazing as people claimed it to be.

Sure, he’d have a lot to deal with tomorrow with the fallout of his mark presenting but for now he let himself stand in the tranquility of the cool, summer breeze, stare up at the moon and think about the future. _Their_ future. His and Ben’s.

**Author's Note:**

> kudos and comments are appreciated as usual!  
i’m benxcallum on tumblr if you want to say hi ♡


End file.
